1864

Pairing: Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore

Disclaimer: I do not own anything and everything related to the Vampire Diaries. As far as this chapter goes, I do not own any of the dialogue that is from the season 2 finale of the show.

Chapter Three: Family

o-o-o-o-o

Elena felt like she was in a dream… no, a very bad nightmare.

She had awoken up that morning in a very, very good mood thanks to her dream about the 1864 version of Damon. It was a pretty damn good start to a day if you asked her. The fact that Klaus was gone made everything so much better. It was like it had been such a long, long time since she felt so much relief and peace. Though Jenna's death still had a permanent spot in her mind, Elena was hopeful that life could go on and that she could expect everything to be okay. With the Gone with the Wind screening in their school, all she wanted to do was to spend time with the people she loved and not worry at all.

But she was so wrong.

Ever since Stefan told her about Tyler biting Damon, it seemed like she was on autopilot. She couldn't concentrate on anything except finding Damon. He couldn't die. No, he couldn't die. She was hanging on to the hope of Stefan finding some sort of miracle cure for his brother with Klaus's help. It was very dangerous and possibly unlikely but Elena prayed he would. Because after seeing what Rose had been through because of the fatal werewolf bite, there really was a possibility that she would never ever see Damon again.

The fact that she was locked in the sheriff's office wasn't helping at all.

Elena's head turned almost in instant as she heard the door open and Sheriff Forbes entered the room. "Where's Damon? What have you done to him?"

"Why do you even care? You know what they are, what they do." Sheriff Forbes gave her a look that very much resembled disgust before walking past her.

She turned to face her. "Okay, I understand why you hate them but you're wrong."

"They're murderers, Elena. End of story." Caroline's mother glared at her as she stood behind her desk.

Elena was about to plead when a knock on the door was heard and a male officer entered the office. "Damon Salvatore was just spotted outside entering The Grill."

"Wait. You gotta let me come with you." Elena managed to block the sheriff's path, shaking her head. "He's sick. He's… He's just not himself."

Sheriff Forbes ignored her, walking past her daughter's best friend before speaking to the officer. "Keep her here."

She immediately tried to run after the sheriff but her path was blocked by the officer, who immediately got out of the room and locked the door shut. Damn it. She couldn't let Sheriff Forbes take Damon. She couldn't let anyone hurt Damon. Pacing back and forth in the office, Elena desperately racked her brain for a way to get out. Settling her hands on a chair, she turned her head and one of the windows caught her attention. Hurriedly pushing the wooden planks away from the glass, Elena took the chair and threw it to the window. Without any moment's hesitation, she jumped out of the window. Hopefully, she could reach Damon in time.

o-o-o-o-o

Elena ran through the crowd gathered in school to watch the Gone with the Wind screening. Ever since she managed to escape the sheriff's office, she had no luck in finding the elder Salvatore brother. Looking around frantically at the people seated on the grass, she ran faster in hopes of finding Damon sooner. But she still couldn't find him. Heading behind the huge screen, Elena came to a stop and looked around once more. He had to be somewhere. She had to find him before it was too late.

"Elena."

Her head whipped towards the direction of the voice, finding a very exhausted and sweaty Damon standing before her. "Damon." She quickly rushed to his side. "Thank God. C'mon, we need to get you out of here. We need to hide you."

Damon sluggishly lost his balance. Thankfully, Elena supported him. "Where are we going?"

"Everywhere!" Suddenly, all he could see was Katherine running through the forest with a torch. He was running after her with a torch in hand.

"Wait for me. I want to come with you." He called after her, running as fast as he could until he tripped.

Elena's eyes widened as he nearly tumbled over before her, catching him before he could completely fall. "Hey…"

A sort of a giggle escaped Katherine's lips as soon as Damon was steadily back on his feet. Both were heavily panting as he placed a hand on her stomach, carefully pushing her against a tree. With the torch still in his hand, he could still see Katherine clearly in the dark.

"Relax… We need to get you out of here." Elena crouched before Damon.

Before she knew it, he used his vampire speed on her and she ended up with her back pressed against the wall.

"You're faster than I thought." Katherine commented as he kept her pinned against the tree.

"Why must you always run from me?" Damon asked her, still catching his breath; cupping her face with his hand.

She smiled at him. "Because I know you'll chase."

That was true. "Then let me chase you forever. Feed me your blood."

"I will not feed you, Damon." Taking one of the hair pins adorning her head, Katherine wounded herself until she felt blood rushing down her neck. "If you want it, take it. It's your choice to make."

"I choose you, Katherine." Damon said as he continued to pant.

"Look at me. Hey. It's Elena." Elena gripped his arms, looking at him as he stared wide eyed back at her. "It's Elena."

Damon heaved. "Promise me you'll not tell my brother."

"I promise." Katherine agreed all too easily. "It will be our little secret."

"No, Damon. No." Elena struggled under his grasp as Damon leaned closer to her, tilting his head towards her neck.

"I have to…" He told her softly. "For you to be together forever."

A gasp escaped her lips as she felt Damon's fangs pierce through her skin. She winced in pain as he drank her blood. "Damon, stop… You're hurting me."

But he wouldn't budge. He just kept drinking her blood even as she tried to push him away. "Damon, you don't have to do this. Please. Stop. You're hurting me."

Damon left just as the words escaped her mouth. Elena's hand flew instantly to the place on her neck where he bit, letting an almost audible 'ow' roll off her tongue. Damon stared at her; his crystal blue eyes wide with fright and regret for what he just did to her. He couldn't believe it. He just bit Elena. As realization finally kicked in, her name escaped his lips before he fell to the ground with a loud thud. Elena stayed where she was for a moment, a bit scared but mostly confused as to what was happening to him. It broke her heart how Damon looked so lost and scared.

"Damon…" She whispered, crouching once more before him.

He didn't say anything; the exhaustion and pain taking its toll on him. He leaned forward, letting his head rest on her chest. Elena wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him against her, while the hand on her neck stayed put to ease the pain. She looked around, checking if anyone saw what had just taken place and if any of her friends were around to help them. She needed to get Damon out of there.

Elena could tell it was almost too late.

o-o-o-o-o

Elena stood by Damon's bed with a washcloth in hand. Damon still sweat profusely even in his sleep and she didn't know what else to do but wipe it off his handsome face. Her whole being prayed for a miracle that Stefan somehow struck a bargain with Klaus to get the cure. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Stefan in the process but she didn't want Damon to die either. She was so torn. Elena snapped out of her thoughts when Damon stirred in his sleep, almost inaudibly whispering her name.

"It's okay, Damon." She leaned forward and placed an assuring hand on her arm. "I'm right here."

He opened his crystal blue eyes and all she could sense was the pain he was feeling. "Elena, get out of here. I can hurt you." He squeezed his eyes shut again; the pain in his body almost unbearable.

"No, you won't." Elena shook her head as stubbornly as ever. "I'm here until the very end. I'm not leaving you."

"G-Get out of here…"

Damon let out a cry of pain, coughing as his body tensed in response to the agony he was feeling. The pain was almost too unbearable as he gripped a part of his right chest. He wished it would go away already. He wanted everything to end. It was pure torture and he wasn't sure he can still take any more. "Hey…" Elena climbed onto the bed and settled beside him, pulling him into her arms. "Hey, hey…"

Damon continued panting heavily and loudly. "Shh… It's okay." Elena tried to calm him down, wiping his forehead with the washcloth. "It's okay… It's okay…"

"It's not okay… It's not okay…" He argued weakly, feeling Elena resting her chin on the crown of his head. "All these years I blamed Stefan. No one forced me to love her. It is my own choice."

"Shh…" She tried to calm him down again, not wanting him to worsen his own condition.

"I made the wrong choice."

Elena lifted her head so that she could look down at his face. She couldn't believe he was saying all of these… It was like he was saying his last words. Damon lifted his eyes and their gaze met. "Tell Stefan I'm sorry… okay?"

Willing herself not to cry, she pursed her lips together. She wrapped her arms around him tighter and nodded. She found it so hard to speak after his emotional apology. Elena wanted Stefan to hear it. More importantly, she wanted Damon alive to be able to say it to his brother. Letting out a shaky breath, she finally spoke. "I will."

The two of them stayed silent, knowing there was nothing left to say for now. Elena still held him in her arms as she felt a slight relief when Damon's breathing became less erratic. A part of her mind wondered what happened to Stefan and if he was able to get the cure from Klaus. Each second that had gone by was a wasted one. Damon was slipping in and out of consciousness in her arms and it was breaking her heart. But she couldn't give up and lose hope. Not when Damon seemed to depend on her for dear life.

"This is even more painful than I thought." Damon said softly as he placed a hand on top of Elena's, which was resting on his chest.

"There's still hope." She fought to keep her voice strong and reassuring despite the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

The elder Salvatore paused thoughtfully. "I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this." He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. "I deserve to die."

"No…" Elena argued instantly, shaking her head. She lowered her body so that she was lying down next to him; her hand never leaving his. "You don't."

"I do, Elena. It's okay." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "'Cause if I had chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you."

Her head turned and her eyes locked with his in an intense gaze. Everything he was saying was coming straight from the heart and she didn't know what to feel considering the situation. Another small smile appeared on his handsome face, willing himself to have the strength to tell her something he should've had said a long time before… not when he was about to die. But, hey… It was better late than ever.

"I'm so sorry…" He watched her expression before he continued. "I've done so many things to hurt you."

"It's okay." Elena shook her head once, smiling to reassure him somewhat. "I forgive you."

"I know you love Stefan… it will always be Stefan." His voice was getting softer now and his words hurt Elena more than she ever thought they would. She didn't say anything, merely completely lying down by his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "But I love you…"

The tears that were threatening to fall earlier finally flowed freely from her eyes as he continued. "You should know that."

Elena's hand played with his as she nodded her head. "I do."

His lips twitched upwards. "You should've met me in 1864. You would've liked me."

"I did… As a matter of fact, I did."

A questioning look crossed Damon's face as he slowly peered down at her. "What do you mean?"

"I-I dreamt about you this morning… I was back in 1864 and we met in the meadow you frequented in. You told me you like me." She couldn't help but smile as she recalled her dream.

"Did you say you liked my 1864 self back?" He asked.

"I woke up before I got the chance to… but that doesn't matter…" Elena leaned up so she could look at him in the eye. "I like you now… just the way you are."

Damon didn't say anything verbal in reply but she could tell he was happy with her answer. It was then that she confirmed that he had nothing to do with what she dreamt about earlier that day. Elena felt her heart beat faster as she noticed him slipping in and out of consciousness, struggling to keep his eyes open. Her own eyes fell on his lips and somehow an internal battle began inside her. But she knew what she had to do… what she wanted to do. Elena knew she owed Damon so much… she owed him the truth. Slowly but surely, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips on his.

It was short and sweet but it was all Damon could hope for. "Thank you…" He whispered, keeping his eyes shut.

Elena smiled; tears still spilling down her face. "You're welcome." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face and he suddenly looked very at peace. Her heart raced… desperately praying that he was going to be okay.

"Well, it's me you should be thanking."

Elena turned her to head to find Katherine standing by the doorway, leaning against the wall. She got up from the bed and her eyes immediately narrowed at the female vampire. "I mean, I'm the one who brought the cure." Katherine flashed them the bottle in her hand – undoubtedly the cure – before heading towards Damon. "I thought you were dead."

"I was." Elena replied curtly.

"You've gotten free…" Damon addressed Katherine; his voice force.

"Yup. Finally." She replied, opening the bottle and helping him drink some of its contents.

He gratefully drank the red liquid, which he easily detected was blood. "And you still came here…"

Katherine placed her hand at the side of his face, patting it comfortingly. "I owed you one."

"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked as soon as the older Petrova got off the bed.

"Are you sure you care?" She asked her incredulously, turning her attention from Damon to her doppelganger.

Elena took a step forward. "Where is he?"

"He's paying for this?" Katherine held the bottle up. "He gave himself over to Klaus. I wouldn't expect him anytime soon."

"What do you mean he gave himself over?" She frowned.

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. "He just… sacrificed everything to save his brother; including you. It's a good thing you have Damon to keep you company. Goodbye, Elena." She walked off, only to turn around after a couple of steps. "Oh, it's okay to love them both. I did."

Katherine threw the bottle at Elena, which she caught in her hands before it could hit the floor. "By the way? You're such a horrible liar, Elena." The female vampire smirked. "Did you realize you told the 1864 Damon at first that your parents had business to attend to… then all of a sudden you told him they were dead?"

"What is she talking about?" Damon struggled to sit himself up on his bed.

"Wait for me here." Elena's eyes widened as she ran out of the bedroom, running after Katherine in the hallway. "Katherine!"

The woman, who was an exact replica of her, paused in her tracks, turning to face her. "Yes, Elena?"

"How did you know about my dream?" She asked, slightly raising her tone.

"It's simple really… I manipulated your dream." Katherine replied with a low chuckle. "You left your window open that night, remember?"

It took her quite a while to process everything. "But why?"

"So you could realize your feelings for Damon." She replied frankly. "I'm sure you've realized that you love Damon too."

Elena took a deep breath. "Why did you do that? Is it because you still want Stefan?"

"Partly." Katherine answered truthfully; her features softening for the first time before Elena. "It's not a sin to want your family to be happy. Damon does make you happy, right?"

"It's not a sin to want your family to be happy…" She repeated, mostly to herself. When realization finally kicked in, her head shot up and her eyes locked with the older Petrova.

Katherine shot her a pointed look. "By the way… the term fashion designer didn't exist back then. When you said that in your dream, I nearly wanted to step in there and tease you about it."

Then, she was gone.

o-o-o-o-o

For those wondering about Elena's two contrasting statements about her parents in the last chapter, here's your answer :)

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